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What are the best cars for convicted drivers to get insured on?

Are you looking to get back on the road after a motoring conviction? You probably don’t need us to tell you that having convictions on your driving record, especially those that resulted in a ban, can have a number of possible consequences.

One of these is the impact it’ll have on your car insurance. Drivers with previous convictions or bans may be refused cover by insurance providers, and they could also face extremely high premiums. This is because insurers consider convicted drivers to be at a greater risk of being involved in another incident and making a claim, so they balance this risk by raising the cost of cover.

But, just because you’ve been convicted, doesn’t mean you have to wave goodbye to affordable premiums forever – especially if you use Insurance Factory. We’ve got years of experience arranging convicted driver insurance for motorists and will help you to find cover still loaded with benefits, for a price that won’t make your eyes water!

Choosing the right car

If you’re in the market for a new car following a motoring conviction or ban, then it quite literally pays to do your research before handing over any cash. This is because the car you buy can have a huge impact on the price you pay for cover – and more generally, in an insurance provider’s decision to insure you after a conviction.

You stand the best chance of getting affordable insurance following a conviction if your next car can boast the following three things:

1. Low insurance group

The UK has what’s known as an insurance Group Rating system which, as Thatcham Research notes, is designed to provide insurance companies with the relative risk of cars and light commercial vehicles.

The Group Rating system essentially categorises every car make and model into a group from one to 50, with group one cars being the cheapest to insure. A car’s rating is determined by factors including new car price, vehicle performance, level of standard fit security levels, parts pricing and the standard fitment and effectiveness of Autonomous Energy Braking (AEB).

If you notice, all of the cars that feature in the lowest insurance groups have small engines. In fact, they are all 1.2 litres or below, bar the Corsa in group two.

Cars with smaller engines tend to be less powerful, have lower top speeds and be more efficient than their bigger, fuel-guzzling counterparts. All these are likely to influence the cost of your car insurance and result in a lower premium.

2. Decent safety rating

The safety of a car should be an important consideration regardless of whether or not it leads to cheaper insurance. Most vehicles in the UK are tested for safety by independent organisation Euro NCAP (European New Car Assessment Programme).

Euro NCAP adds to this list the Kia Ceed and Toyota Corolla. And if you’re looking for a 2018 model, the cars that topped the safety ratings list last year included the Lexus ES, Peugeot 508, Volvo V60, Ford Focus and Peugot Rifter.

Bear in mind that safety ratings alone may not mean cheaper car insurance, as some of these models have big, powerful engines and are expensive to buy, which may increase costs.

Choose a car that’s safe, economical and in a low insurance group, and you stand the best chance of not paying over the odds for convicted driver insurance. When you’ve chosen your motor, you can help to keep insurance costs low by: